"RICHMOND TEMPERANCE HALL
This unique building and the society it housed served an important purpose in antebellum society in what is now Scotland County. The Richmond Temperance and Literary Society was founded in 1853 in the Fontcol community (in what was at the time lower Richmond County) with the purpose of elevating the moral and cultural life of the area.
The present hexagonal building was constructed of hand-molded local bricks, and it was within these walls that society members publicly avowed abstinence from strong drink, debated public issues, and shared views of the literature of the age. Notice, at the apex of the roof, is the symbolic upturned chalice mounted on a Holy Bible. Both pieces were reputedly shot down by Sherman’s unruly troops during his Carolinas campaign at the end of the War Between the States.
Inside, a unique symbolism prevailed. The center of the ceiling revealed a field of gold stars, one for each member. As members died, their stars were gilded with silver. Should a member break his pledge of abstinence, his star was instead painted black. (Many stars were discovered with alternating coats of black and gold!)"From webs site: (
visit link)
"Marker ID: I-48,
Marker Text: TEMPERANCE HALL, Meeting hall of the Richmond Temperance and Literary Society, 1860 to 1890's. Sacked by Sherman's army in 1865. Stands 1 1/2 mi. W.
Essay: The Richmond Temperance and Literary Society was established around 1855 by a group of young men and women concerned about the intemperance (read consumption of alcohol) in the area. In their mission statement the founders, “being convinced of the deadly influence that intemperance is now exerting over the morality of our country and seeing the ravages that it is daily making in our midst,” wrote that the society’s object was “uncompromising hostility to intemperance and untiring zeal for the advancement of literature.” The group’s one-room building, built in 1860 near Wagram and known still as Temperance Hall, is hexagonal with sixteen-foot sides. It is topped with a wooden finial representing an overturned wine glass sitting atop a book. The ceiling inside the building was painted blue with a constellation of red stars, one representing each member of the society. If a member broke his temperance vow, his star was painted black. The star was painted white if the member died.
The Richmond Temperance and Literary Society met for about forty years in the building. The area around Wagram became a part of the new Scotland County in 1899 and eventually Temperance Hall fell into disrepair. It was restored as a museum in 1959 and in 1967 the birthplace of John Charles McNeill, a poet, was moved to the grounds and restored. The McNeill house serves as a visitor center for Temperance Hall.
References:
Catherine W. Bishir and Michael T. Southern, A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Eastern North Carolina (1996)
James E. and Ida C. Huneycutt, A History of Richmond County (1976)
North Carolina ECHO website: (
visit link)
Location: US 401 (Main Street) in Wagram
County: Scotland
Original Cast: 1959-P"
From web site: (
visit link)
Visit Instructions:Photos of your visit to the marker are required, but PLEASE, no old vacation photos taken just because it was there!
Comments about your visit, interesting nearby areas and any significant information you may have on this waymark are encouraged.
Most of all, enjoy the History that North Carolina has to offer! From the Mountains to the Ocean .. it's all here!